Top 13 of 2013: #10 Men's Soccer Makes A Statement in Tie Against Eastern Conn.

Dec 19, 2013

This is the fourth in our Top 13 of 2013 series. Every day for the rest of 2013, we will count down the Top 13 moments/games of the year, with each program represented. With three Little East Conference Titles, several huge upsets over nationally ranked teams and some dramatic finishes-2013 was another step forward for UMass Boston Athletics.

There is only one tie on our "Top 13 of 2013" list and it came from a team that earned their fair share of big wins. Despite tallying 11 victories on the year, no game served as a more of a statement that UMass Boston Men's Soccer was a legitimate contender in the Little East Conference than the Beacons 1-1 tie against LEC Champion Eastern Connecticut State University.

The three-time defending Little East Champions entered the unbeaten in 14 in row (13-0-1) against Little East foes and winners of 13 in a row over the Beacons, dating back to 1999.

But Jake Beverlin and his squad came in to the match ready to topple a giant of the Little East and for 110 minutes dominated the heavily favored Warriors in an exciting conference affair.

Little East Conference Rookie of the Year Edmilson Barros (Boston, Mass.) appeared to lift UMB to a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute, when he took a feed from Luis Alva (Lima, Peru) and buried a shot by First Team All-Conference goaltender Greg Walton, only to be called offsides.

Barros made up for the mistake seven minutes later when he made a brilliant play in slicing up four defenders in the box. The freshman forward made three touches to himself while surrounded by blue shirts, before blasting a shot into the near-netting for a 1-0 Beacons lead. The goal snapped Walton's 551-minute shutout streak and gave UMB their first goal against Eastern Connecticut in three years.

From there UMass Boston would continue to dominate the play, outshooting Eastern Connecticut 8-1 for the half, including forcing the Warriors goalie to make three first-half stops.

The tides turned early in the second half, as Mitch Power was taken down in the box just 26 seconds into the second stanza and sent his penalty kick by Alfonso Rosales (Revere, Mass.) to tie the game at 1-1.

UMass Boston continued their relentless attack, creating two point-blank chances that just went wide late in regulation.

Eastern Connecticut appeared to go ahead in the 80th minute, but Powers was called offsides, just as his strike went off of Rosales' hand and into the back of the net.

Rosales came up huge late in regulation and overtime, making two big stops to keep the game at 1-1, while the Beacons continued to create chances against the league's top defense

When the final horn ended with the score knotted at 1-1, UMass Boston walked off the field disappointed in the lack of a win in a game that they dominated. Going forward into 2014 and beyond though, that game may signify the start of things to come, as the Beacons look to get over the hump and return to the four-team LEC Tournament for the first time since 2006.